The present invention relates generally to electric cigar lighters of the type adapted to be used in vehicles or the like, and more particularly to certain improvements in the circuit breaker employed in the lighters of this type which are automatic in their operation, and which are provided with a removable igniting unit which is manually moved to its closed-circuit position and automatically returned to its open-circuit position after a heating element carried by the unit has been brought into a red hot state.
Conventionally, there is provided a fuse as a circuit breaker which is formed of a fusible metallic material and incorporated in the electric circuit of the lighter so as to open the circuit to a heating element of the lighter upon either overheating thereof or upon a short-circuit or overload in the circuit.
The fuse as the circuit breaker as described above has such disadvantages that, when it melts at its middle portion so as to be separated in two parts due to the overheating of the heating element and the like to open the circuit, one of the separated ends thereof may accidentally contact a portion of some other members mounted in the lighter or the another device arranged adjacent to the fuse to cause a short circuit, and furthermore, troublesome and time-taking procedures are required to replace the separated fuse member by a new one.